The determination of characteristics of chemical or microbiological reactions in in vitro techniques has been characterized by the utilization of plain sided optical cuvettes known to the prior art. These cuvettes, generally, operating in cooperation with laboratory instruments such as spectrophotometers or fluorometers, have sides, bottoms, or caps designed so as not to interact with an analytic beam of light transmitted through them. Examples of such prior art cuvettes are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,718,439 issued Feb. 27, 1973 to Rosse, U.S. Pat. No. 3,744,975 issued July 10, 1973 to Mailen, U.S. Pat. No. 4,066,414 issued Jan. 3, 1978 to Selby and U.S. Pat. No. 4,083,638 issued Apr. 11, 1978 to Sandrock et al.
In situations where an intimate optical relationship of the analytic device and the cuvette is necessary or desirable to enhance the efficiency or cost of such a device, it is helpful to have molded within the cuvette itself certain members of the optical components which act in cooperation with the device in which the cuvette is placed.
Accordingly, it is the object of the present invention to provide a cuvette with integral optical elements, such as for example collimating and collecting lens, whereby the cuvette may be more efficiently and inexpensively optically coupled to the analytical devices or instruments with which they are used.